Post by Earl Grey on Oct 4, 2012 11:20:15 GMT 11
Heh heh... adding to the pressure.
Malcolm Turnbull will be loving this!
Abbott has "50-50" chance of leading Coalition to election: Windsor
October 4, 2012 - 10:07AM
Independent MP Tony Windsor said Malcolm Turnbull is "head and shoulders" above Tony Abbott as an electable leader. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
Tony Abbott's chances of leading the Coalition to the federal election next year have ''diminished quite rapidly'', according to key independent MP Tony Windsor.
In an attack characteristic of the independent's personal views of Mr Abbott, Mr Windsor said former opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull was ''head and shoulders'' above Mr Abbott as a electable leader.
The NSW independent, who faces a stiff challenge by Nationals candidate Richard Torbay in the next election, said Mr Abbott's tactic of deliberately ''creating chaos'', in order to expose the fragility of the hung parliament, was beginning to unravel.
''I think there was a view six months ago that he would be there irrespective of the tactics that he was using,'' Mr Windsor told ABC radio.
''If you create the chaos it'll be written about and people will pick it up and therefore there must be chaos.
''It adds to the public view that the hung parliament isn't working.''
Mr Abbott had a ''50-50 chance'' of still being in the job at the next election, due in late 2013, Mr Windsor claimed.
Mr Windsor and Mr Abbott have a long and well-documented fractious history.
In August, on the second anniversary of Prime Minister Julia Gillard's infamous ''broken'' promise on the carbon tax, Mr Windsor launched a stinging attack on Mr Abbott in Parliament, calling him "an absolute disgrace" for consistently accusing the Prime Minister of lying and asking her to apologise to the Australian people.
In a long tirade, Mr Windsor also accused Mr Abbott of saying he was willing to do anything for the prime ministership, including implementing a carbon tax, during the 17 days of negotiations following the 2010 hung election.
''You would well remember, and your colleagues should be aware, that the only codicil you put on that was, 'I will do anything, Tony, to get this job. The only thing I won't do is sell my arse','' Mr Windsor said in August.
The independent, who backed Ms Gillard enabling her to form government, has also referred to the Liberals leader as a ''rabid dog'', a reference to his perceived ''relentless negativity''.
Meanwhile, Mr Windsor has backed the Speaker, Peter Slipper, returning to official duties if he is cleared of allegations of sexual harassment and misuse of commonwealth Cabcharges.
''I wouldn't see an issue with him being able to return to the chair if in fact all those things happened,'' he said.
If there was a vote to determine if Mr Slipper should return to the chair, Mr Windsor said he ''couldn't see how I would object to it''.
Read more: www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/abbott-has-5050-chance-of-leading-coalition-to-election-windsor-20121004-270ml.html#ixzz28HjIyf3o
Malcolm Turnbull will be loving this!
Abbott has "50-50" chance of leading Coalition to election: Windsor
October 4, 2012 - 10:07AM
Independent MP Tony Windsor said Malcolm Turnbull is "head and shoulders" above Tony Abbott as an electable leader. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
Tony Abbott's chances of leading the Coalition to the federal election next year have ''diminished quite rapidly'', according to key independent MP Tony Windsor.
In an attack characteristic of the independent's personal views of Mr Abbott, Mr Windsor said former opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull was ''head and shoulders'' above Mr Abbott as a electable leader.
The NSW independent, who faces a stiff challenge by Nationals candidate Richard Torbay in the next election, said Mr Abbott's tactic of deliberately ''creating chaos'', in order to expose the fragility of the hung parliament, was beginning to unravel.
''I think there was a view six months ago that he would be there irrespective of the tactics that he was using,'' Mr Windsor told ABC radio.
''If you create the chaos it'll be written about and people will pick it up and therefore there must be chaos.
''It adds to the public view that the hung parliament isn't working.''
Mr Abbott had a ''50-50 chance'' of still being in the job at the next election, due in late 2013, Mr Windsor claimed.
Mr Windsor and Mr Abbott have a long and well-documented fractious history.
In August, on the second anniversary of Prime Minister Julia Gillard's infamous ''broken'' promise on the carbon tax, Mr Windsor launched a stinging attack on Mr Abbott in Parliament, calling him "an absolute disgrace" for consistently accusing the Prime Minister of lying and asking her to apologise to the Australian people.
In a long tirade, Mr Windsor also accused Mr Abbott of saying he was willing to do anything for the prime ministership, including implementing a carbon tax, during the 17 days of negotiations following the 2010 hung election.
''You would well remember, and your colleagues should be aware, that the only codicil you put on that was, 'I will do anything, Tony, to get this job. The only thing I won't do is sell my arse','' Mr Windsor said in August.
The independent, who backed Ms Gillard enabling her to form government, has also referred to the Liberals leader as a ''rabid dog'', a reference to his perceived ''relentless negativity''.
Meanwhile, Mr Windsor has backed the Speaker, Peter Slipper, returning to official duties if he is cleared of allegations of sexual harassment and misuse of commonwealth Cabcharges.
''I wouldn't see an issue with him being able to return to the chair if in fact all those things happened,'' he said.
If there was a vote to determine if Mr Slipper should return to the chair, Mr Windsor said he ''couldn't see how I would object to it''.
Read more: www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/abbott-has-5050-chance-of-leading-coalition-to-election-windsor-20121004-270ml.html#ixzz28HjIyf3o
